On September 21, the "Ocean Spectrum" cruise ship carried more than 4,600 passengers slowly berthed at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port. Among them, the number of foreign passengers exceeded 2,500, accounting for more than half of the total number of passengers. This is the first time that the proportion of foreign passengers at the home port has exceeded half since the international cruise ship resumed flights at the Shanghai Cruise Port.

The voyage has a wide range of foreign passengers, covering more than 40 countries and regions. Russia, the United Kingdom and Australia rank among the top three passenger sources, with Russian passengers accounting for more than one-third. Starting from September 15, China has piloted a unilateral visa-free policy for Russian people with ordinary passports, allowing them to enter the country for the purposes of doing business, travel, visiting relatives and friends, and exchanges. The stay time will not exceed 30 days, and there is no need to apply for a visa in advance. The results have begun to show in the past week since the implementation of the policy, and the customs clearance efficiency of Russian passengers has been significantly improved, the procedures are more convenient, and the entry and exit experience is smoother.

In addition to the unilateral visa-free policy, the 240-hour transit visa-free policy also continues to release dividends, providing more convenience for foreign tourists to travel to China. Various visa-free policies have been put into practice, which has significantly lowered the entry threshold and effectively stimulated the willingness of tourists to China. Driven by this, the travel model of "aircraft + cruise ship" gradually emerged. Foreign passengers can first arrive at hub cities such as Shanghai by plane, and then transfer to cruise ship to continue their maritime journey. According to statistics from Shanghai Border Inspection, from January 1 to September 18, 2025, the number of foreign tourists traveling to China and taking cruises increased by about 77% compared with the same period last year.

Faced with the demand for rapid recovery of the cruise economy and high-quality development, the Shanghai border inspection agency continues to optimize the port customs clearance process and actively create an efficient and convenient customs clearance environment. Taking this "Ocean Spectrum" cruise ship as an example, the Pujiang Border Inspection Station of the Shanghai Border Inspection General Station adopts the "ship inspection" model to achieve "going off when you reach the port" and significantly shorten the customs clearance time. In addition, foreign passengers who enter the country on cruise ships can be exempted from retaining fingerprint biological information, and passengers who enter and exit the country on the same cruise ship can be exempt from stamping the entry and exit verification stamp.

(CCTV reporter Wu Bing)